Raptors to Make Roster Move Ahead of Contract Guarantee Date

The Toronto Raptors will reportedly waive Bruno Fernando who is expected to draw interest from Fenerbahce Beko of the Turkish league

Nov 21, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Bruno Fernando (24) warms up before playing the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Bruno Fernando’s brief tenure with the Toronto Raptors is coming to an end.

The Raptors will reportedly waive Fernando, whose non-guaranteed contract is set to guarantee later this week, per Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. Toronto has until Tuesday to place the 26-year-old center on waivers, allowing the team to avoid taking on his salary for the remainder of the season.

Official announcement forthcoming but it appears that the Raptors have indeed waived Bruno Fernando, whose contract would have guaranteed Tuesday. Expectation is Raptors will keep roster spot open and use it on 10-days in the short term.

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) January 7, 2025

Fernando appeared in just 17 games for the Raptors this season, averaging 3.4 points and 3 rebounds while shooting 53.1% from the field. He initially began the season as the backup big man, filling in the injured Kelly Olynyk to start the year. However, his role quickly diminished, as he was supplanted by rookie second-round pick Jonathan Mogbo. Fernando briefly re-entered the rotation in mid-December, starting a game while Jakob Poeltl dealt with an injury, but he has been out of the rotation ever since.

The Raptors originally signed Fernando to a minimum contract during the offseason, with the deal initially set to guarantee at the start of the regular season. After a lackluster preseason, the team and Fernando agreed to push his guarantee date back to January 10, giving Toronto additional flexibility.

Fernando’s NBA future is uncertain, but he is reportedly drawing interest from Fenerbahce Beko of the Turkish League, a team that has been linked to him since before the season began.

As for the Raptors, they are expected to use the open roster spot to cycle through 10-day contracts. Teams can sign players to two 10-day deals before committing to a standard or two-way contract. Toronto made extensive use of this flexibility last year, signing six different players to 10-day contracts during the season.